Submarine type sea train



Dec. 20, 955 H, M, COMES 2,727,485

SUBMARINE TYPE SEA TRAIN Filed Aug. 16, 1954 mmLg Il 111111111111'Il'llIllllllulnllln l111111111 l.

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ffererz. 60272 s BY K rough in case of heavy winds and United States Patent O SUBMARINE TYPE SEA TRAIN Herbert M. Combs, Rock Springs, Wyo. Application August 16, 1954, Serial No. 450,186 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-16) This invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus for transporting freight over bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans.

Large quantities of freight are shipped daily from one country to another or from one coastal city to another. Such shipments are usuallymade by steam driven freighter or by combined passenger and freight steamers, and for transoceanic this method is quite satisfactory except during wars where such vessels are vulnerable to torpedo attack.

For coastwise shipping and for river transportation, cheaper and more convenient means for transportation is desirable.

It is well known that a vessel floating on water can be moved by a moderate force but the speed at which it moves is dependent on the value of the force and the time it is applied.

On rivers such as the Mississippi, much freight is shipped in barges, which, however, are not suitable for use on lakes and oceans where the water becomes very storms.

It is the object of this invention to produce a vessel in the nature of a submarine that can move partly or totally submerged and which can comprise many separate units connected in tandem and pulled by a tractor unit. Such unit to be provided with suitable trim and ballast tanks under the control of the pilot so that in the event of a storm or in case of anticipated danger from war vessels the entire train can be submerged and can travel at a depth that will make it invisible from surface vessels.

The above and such other objects as may become apparent as the specification proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described, for which purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing a train floating on the water surface, a portion having been broken away to decrease the length to tit the drawing;

Figure 2 is a vertical diametrical section through the front or power end of the tractor vessel;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 Figure 2 and shows the steering jets;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the front end of the tractor element showing the propellers;

Figure 5 is a typical cross section taken on line 5-5 Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing adjacent ends of separate vessels, the interconnecting means and the flexible connector element.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates the surface of the water on which the train oats. ln the position shown, the train is only partly submerged. The train consists of any number of cylindrical vessels 11 articulated for universal movement. An example of such connecting means is shown in Figure 6 and will be hereinafter described.

Patented Dec. 20, 1955 At each end of the train there is a tractor unit T which, i

in addition to providing the tractive power is also of such size that it carries considerable freight. The reason for providing a tractor for each end is that the train is long, somewhat like an ordinary freight train, and since this train floats instead of traveling on rails it cannot be pushed or backed, but must always be pulled. The tractor at the rear of the train serves merely as a freight vessel when the train moves forwardly.

Referring now to Figure 6 it will be seen that the interconnecting means as shown in this view consists of two angular bars 12 and 12a that interlock as shown forming a universal pivot which is located nearer to the front end of the follower section 11 than to the rear of the rear end of the tractor unit 15 which feature of the construction reduces the lateral swing of the front end of section 11 which in turn reduces the lateral distortion of sleeve 13 which with its longitudinally extending angularly spaced flexible ribs 14 are attached to the rear end of the tractor unit and have a sliding engagement with the outer surface of the follower section as shown-in Figure 6. The front end of section 11 is forwardly tapering which reduces the lateral distortion of the sleeve when the sections tilt relative to each other as indicated by broken lines. Sleeve 13 provides a smooth surface for the ow of water from one section to another.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 to 5 inclusive which show the machinery for operating the propellers and for steering, reference numeral 15 represents the outer shell. A heavy tube 16 is positioned in axial alignment with the shell and is held in a xed position by two or more spaced supports 17 and 18 forming a forwardly projecting cantilever on which are supported the tapered prow 19, the propellers and the transmission whose construction and operative relation will now be described.

Surrounding tube 16 is a tubular propeller shaft 20 to the forward end of which propeller 21 is attached. lt is to be understood that suitable bearings either anti-friction or otherwise are provided wherever necessary or desirable. It will be observed that propeller 21 has an outer peripheral rim 22 that is curved to form a section of the shell. Projecting outwardly from the rim are a plurality of vanes 23. The propeller hub is splined to shaft 20. Surrounding shaft 20 is another tubular propeller shaft which has been designated by reference numeral 24, to the forward end of which propeller 25 is splined. Rim 26 of propeller 25 is wider than the corresponding rim of propeller 21 and has propeller blades 27 along its rear edge leaving a considerable space between vanes 23 and 27. Shaft 24 is journaled in bearing 28 which is supported from shell 15 as shown. Attached to the rear end of shaft 20 is a combination bevel and sprocket gear 29 and connected to the rear end of shaft 24 is a bevel gear 30. The two bevel gears form part of a differential and are operatively interconnected by pinions 31 carried by ring 32 which is held from turning by an anchor means 33 as shown in Figure 2. Motor 34 has been shown as provided with a long shaft 35 that is journaled in support 18 and is provided at its front end with a pinion 36 that is in operative engagement with the spur gear ring 37. lt is now evident that when the motor rotates it will turn the propellers in opposite directions. The opposite rotation of the propellers serve to neutralize the torque that would otherwise tend to turn the tractor about its axis. A pump 38 is driven from the motor and delivers water to the interior of tube 16 and to the compressoin chamber 39. Suitable bypass valves may be provided for the pump as is usual in such installations. Communicating the iuterior of tube 16 with the outside of the shell are two pipes 40 that are provided with electrically operable valves 41 which serve to control the direction of movement of the tractor. When either of the valves are opened a powerful water jet issues which produces a force tending to move the front end of the tractor to the other side. This device takes ther place of a rudder. .Each vessel is provided with ballast or trim tanks 42 that are used in the same manner as similar tanks in the usual submarine.

Each tractor is provided with a conning tower 43 and a ventilator 44. The tractor is, of course, provided with the usual storage battery and other means for providing light and ventilation. Since it is obviously impossible to show the machinery to the same scale as the shell, the former appears to occupy an undue amount of space, whereas the differential and other parts shown in Figure 2 are small compared to the size of the vessel.

Due to the streamlined shape of the train it offers a minimum of resistance to movement and, therefore, an immense quantity of freight can be transported with a moderate amount of power. As the speed increases the amount of power required increases faster than the speed.

What I vclaim is:

In an articulated submarine train having a tractor unit at each end, means for interconnecting adjacent units for universal tilting movement, comprising bars formed into angle form, attached to adjacent ends of adjacent sections, said bars being interlocked each extending through the plane of the other, the point of pivotation of the bars being closer to the follower section than to the tractor section, a cylindrical sleeve having one end rigidly attached to the rear of the tractor section and projecting over onto the follower section in sliding engagement therewith, the sleeve having a plurality of stiifening ribs attached to its inner surface in angular spaced relation, the ribs resting normally on the outer surface of the follower section the front end of which is forwardly tapering presenting to the ribs and sleeve a curved surface, the 10 ribs being flexible and normally engaging the outer surface of the follower section the exibility of theribs permitting the two pivotally connected sections to tilt relativelyl to each other.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 47,419 Hatch Apr. 25, 1865 347,983 Babbitt Aug. 24, 1886 726,796 Fischhaber Apr.'28, 1903 1,161,484 Laurenti r- Nov. 23, 1915 1,818,138 Howland Aug. l1, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 237,480 Germany Aug. 18, 1911 323,846 Italy n n Ian. 10, 1935 715,825 France Sept. 29, 1931 the rear ends ofl 

